1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bevel cutting device and more particularly to a device which can accurately and repetitively produce decorative bevel cuts in picture frame matte board and other materials.
2. Brief Background of the Invention
One of the significant problems confronting picture frame manufacturers and frame shop operators is the cost associated with producing high quality decorative bevel cut picture frame mats. Bevel cut matte boards are preferred over straight cut boards because the bevel cut is more attractive and adds a sense of depth to the display picture. A bevel cut matte board not only highlights the beauty of an expensive frame but can also enhance the appearance of an otherwise unattractive and often inexpensive frame. For this reason, manufacturers of inexpensive picture frames often prefer to use the bevel cut matte board. Unfortunately, most manufacturers are deterred from using bevel cut matte boards because they are too expensive and not reasonably available in production quantities.
At the present, most bevel cut matte boards are produced on hand-drawn devices. These devices are unable to reasonably produce bevel cut mats in production quantities. Very often, the maximum output from such hand-operated devices are between 75 and 100 mats per hour. In practice, due to the calibration and adjustment time needed by these devices and the high amount of scrap boards caused by operator error, the rate is often much lower.
Both the manual devices and a few automated bevel cutters that are now on the market are often unable to produce museum quality bevel cuts. There are numerous inherent quality problems with these devices. They require the insertion of a cutting blade into a matte board and the subsequent movement of the blade through the board. The insertion or punching of the cutting blade into the matte board is commonly now accomplished by moving the blade downward in a single linear motion. Typically, the blade extends through the matte board into the work surface beneath the matte board by approximately 1/32 of an inch. As a result, the tip of the blade is anchored or compressed into the work surface while another portion of the blade is in the matte board. This can cause the cutting edge of the blade to be bent or warped. As the blade is later drawn through the matte board, an uneven, wobbling cut is often produced because of the flexure of the cutting blade. The cut does not become uniform until the blade is straight.
In addition, there are other problems associated with the insertion or punching of a cutting blade into the matte board as commonly now done in the art. Since the blade is essentially pushed through several layers of matte board, the blade will often draw the top color layer into the interior portion of the board. This can produce a cut that appears to be uneven in color and size. There is a also a problem of tearing or pinching the corners of a matte board because the punching of the blade tends to separate the layers or fibers of the board and causes a layer to tear from the board.
These quality problems are, to a certain extent, compounded because of the manual operation of these machines. The punch or insertion process of the blade is normally accomplished by having an operator manually press the blade into the matte board. Usually, the blade is attached to a lever type device wherein the arm of the lever is punched or pressed with the result that the blade enters the work piece. Since this is a manual operation, the amount of pressure applied to the blade varies from stroke to stroke. Ordinarily, the operator is not technically sophisticated which can lead to problems in accurately aligning and calibrating the cutter and also presents problems and errors during the punching and drawing of the blade through the work piece. Thus, the combination of operator error and the inadequacies of the cutter themselves often cause a fairly low quality bevel cut matte board.
There is a need in the market for a machine that can accurately produce high quality bevel cut matte board in production quantities. This machine should be able to cut matte board with minimum setup and maintenance and should be conducive to operation by an unskilled operator.
The present invention is capable of producing very high quality, so-called museum quality, bevel cut mats in production quantities with minimum setup and calibration time. Since the machine can produce several hundred mats per hour, the labor costs associated with each matte is minimal. As will be seen in greater detail below, the inadequacies associated with the punching of the blade through the work piece have been eliminated, and the tearing, color draw, and uneven cut problems have been solved.
3. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art matte cutting devices are generally jigs for holding blades that are manually manipulated once angles are preset by such jigs. For example, in Wheeler U.S. Pat. No. 513,851, mitering knives are held by a clamping jaw device at an angle whereupon the knives are manually drawn along a straightedge guide to effect a bevel cut in a matte board. In the Childs U.S. Pat. No. 534,061, a device for cutting circular openings in picture mats is disclosed. The cutting blade n.sup.3 is inclined inwardly to the matte board so that a beveled edge is cut. The Murdoch cutter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 571,677 is a device for moving a cutting edge downward into a matte board at any desired beveled angle. Likewise, the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Eno 3,130,622; Keeton 3,213,736; Shapiro 3,463,041; Ellerin 3,527,131; McBride 3,768,357; Matthew 3,774,495; Broides 3,779,119; Stowe 3,973,459; Logan 3,996,827; and Jones 4,022,095 are bevel cutters which require the manual operations of blade insertion and draw along a guiding edge.